Treadle operating mechanism.



H. 0. BERGERSON.

TREADLE OPERATING IVIEGHANISMIv APPLICATION FILED AuG .21. 1913.

1 1 6 1 ,O 1 8, Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

H. 0. BERGERSON.

TREADLE OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.21\ \9l3.

Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

2 SHEETSAHET 2.

HENRY O. BERGERSON, OF HAWLEY, MINNESOTA.

TREADLE OPERATING MECHANISIVI.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

Application filed August 21, 1913. Serial No. 785,S91.

To @ZZ whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, HENRY O. BnnGnRsoN, citizen of the United States, residing at Hawley, in the county of Clay and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Treadle Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to potato cutters, the obj ect of the invention being to provide a simple manually operated machine for slicing up seed potatoes in properrcondition for planting, the machine embodying means whereby the blocks or slices when cut, are conveyed to a suitable receptacle provided therefor by means of a chute adapted to be arranged beneath the cutting mechanism employed in connection with my invention. f

The invention still further resides in the provision of spring means for returning the operating block to its normal position after the same has been forced into engagement with the potatoes acted upon during a cutting operation.

A still further object of the invention resides in the provision of specially devised means whereby motion is imparted to the operating block through the medium of a foot operated lever mounted upon the machine, the said means being arranged and operated in a manner to be hereinafter fully described. f

rlhe above and additional objects are accomplished by such means asare illustrated in their preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification and then more particularly pointed out in the claim which is appended hereto and forms a part of this application.

In describing my invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters `denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a potato cutting machine constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 isy a top plan view, the spring being partly broken away; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4t is a section on the line t-t of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein is illustrated the preferred form of my in vention the numeral 1 designates the stand or bodyportion uponwhich the mechanism l1n slices as well as blocks, the cutting being effected in a manner to be hereinafter fully descrlbed. At each side of the yopening 4 I provide a suitable bracket 6 to each of which is adjustably secured a clamping bar 7 for detachably fastening a plurality of guide strips 8 in proper place. The said strips 8 are interposed between the upper face of the bracket 6 and the under face of the clamping bar 7, the latter being forced into engagement therewith through the medium of thumb screws 9 extending therethrough. The arrangement of the strips 8 as shown to advantage in Fig. 4: of the drawings acts as a guide for the potatoes acted upon, the said strips conveying or guiding the potatoes on Vto the cutting edges of the knives against which they are forced in a manner to be hereinafter fully described. An operating block 10 is mounted for oscillatory movement upon the body l, the said block being secured in any suitable manner to an koperating arm 11 one end of which ishinged as at 12 to a suitable support member 13. Adjacent the hinged end of the arm 11 and secured to the body 1I provide a bracket 14 to which one end of a spring 15 vis secured, the opposite end being 'arranged over a bracket 16 mounted upon the said arm 11 near the free end thereof and secured as at 17 to the said free end of the arm for returning the latter to its normal position when acted upon by the operating means forming a part of the present invention. The said operating means comprises an operating lever 18 pivotallyysecured as at 19 to one of the legs 2 of the machine the free end having a pedal formed thereupon by means of which the said lever 18 is manually operated, as the operators seat 21 of the machine is disposed upon the said body 1 directly over the said pedal. Guide means including a bar 22 and base 23 is provided for the operating lever 18 the latter being maintained in frictional y engagement With the said bar at all times.

A stop block 24 is carried by the bar 22 toy limit the oscillatory movement of the lever during operation. A Y

Intermediate the ends of the lever 18 a strap is secured, the said strap connecty ing a belt 26 Withthe lever. Y The opposite end of the belt 26 from that secured to the strap is secured to a block 27 carried by the operating arm 11 lfor actuating or oscillating the latter according to the movement of the said lever. To facilitate the movement of the'belt 26,'rollers 28'have` been vprovided over .Which the said belt rides,

the rollers being mounted for Vrotation Within a cutout portion 29 nformed Within the vbody l .at one side thereof. l Y

To convey the potatoes, Whencut, into a suitable receptacle provided, therefor, a

i chute 30 has been provided, thesaid chute being Vconnectedfto the body l directly'y bey neath the openingi thereof.

Having described in detailrthe construction of `the machine, it nowfremainsto .set forth alittle more fully the operation thereof. The potatoes acted upon are -firstrplaced over Ythe opening t of the body l, the blades 5 acting as supports therefor. When thus positioned, the operating` lever 18 isactuated and oscillatorymovement imparted to the arm 1l through the medium of the connectingkmeans 26V above described. Asrthe arm 1l is oscillated, the block 10, carried thereby is svvunginto and out of` engagement with the cutting edges of the knives 5', suoli engagement forcing the potatoes supported by the said knivesbetween the blades or Aknives and into the chute 30, arranged therebeneath. Y

vFrom the above, taken in connection With the accompanying drawings, it isl apparent that the potatoes are maintainedk in engagement iviththe knives 5 through the medium of the .guideV strips 8 disposed'at eachside of the said opening; that the spring vr15v autoscription, as the preferred embodiment, isy

the most efficient and practical; yet realizing that the conditions concurrent W-iththe adoption of my device will necessarily vary, l desire to emphasize thefact that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion l and arrangement of parts. may beoresortedto, Whenfrequired, 1vithout sac.- rificing any of the advantages of my invention, as defined in theappended claim.

Havingy thusv fully described4 my invention, What I'claiIn-as new anddesire to secure. by Letters Patent, is1- ln operating mechanism, a support, a seat at one end oflsaid support, an arm pivoted forv vertical. oscillatory movement at the kopposite'end of and on the top of said'support, a spring secured at.l one end to said arm and at itsoppositeend lto said'support for maintaining the former vnormally in an elevated position, a treadle pivoted at one side` of said support and in horizontal plane below. said armto terminate at a point in proximity to saidl seat, alvertical guide` bar disposedfor engagement With ,the free` end of said treadle to preclude lateral displacement thereof, a stop means on said guidebar to limit movement of said treadle, rollers mountedon said supportV in proximity. to said arm, and a flexible element engaging said' rollers and connectedatone endl` to said arm and atits opposite,A end to said treadle, substantiallyV as described.

In testimony Whereofl aliix my signature in presence oftwo .Witnesses f HENRY O. BERGERSON.

' l/Vitnesses: y y y Y GUs'rAv SJORDAL, GILBERT GUNDnRsoN.

Copies of this patentrmay be *obtained for ve cents each, byA addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

